Day 11: The end of our Japan Adventure!

 

Maria Rose and Josie made great roommates for our three nights in Kyoto. We stayed in this Hyatt right next door to a subway station—so very convenient (thanks, Dave)!

On our last morning, we packed up one final time with 5 adults, 5 carry-on size roller bags, 4 children (plus 2 in utero!) and loaded back onto a full local train.

We made a quick stop in Ueno Park to see the progress of the cherry blossoms:

Then arrived back at Haneda Airport to catch our 12 hour flight back home.

It was an awesome adventure—so grateful to my fun travel companions and to David for his outstanding job with trip planning and execution of a well-constructed itinerary!❤️

Day 10: Mass and a day of rest!

I got up bright and early to catch a 7am Mass at the Kawaramachi Catholic Church. Nestled in the heart of Kyoto, the Kawaramachi Catholic Church stands as a testament to faith and resilience. Also known as St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, this spiritual haven has been serving the Catholic community since 1890. The church's history is deeply intertwined with Japan's complex relationship with Christianity, making it not just a place of worship but a symbol of perseverance. With its unique blend of Western architecture and Japanese influences, the cathedral offers visitors a glimpse into the rich tapestry of Kyoto's religious heritage. From its marble interiors to its stunning stained glass windows, every element of the church tells a story of devotion and cultural fusion.

ACelebrating Mass in Japanese, I enjoyed a wonderful opportunity to experience the true universality of the Catholic Mass, regardless of what language was being spoken.

Since there was evidence of a little bug traveling through the group, and I was feeling a tinge of something coming on, I decided to use the rest of my Sunday laying low, listening to my audio book, Song for Nagasaki, catching up on my Hallow Pray 40 reflections, and napping, while the rest of the group ventured out to do the Philosophers Walk and Fushimi Inari Taisha.

Day 9: Our 2nd day in Kyoto

After a very short night of sleep due to a bout of sickness with a few in our crew, we ventured out to visit Kiyomizudera Temple. To get there, we navigated city busses, which were quite busy.

Once we arrived at our stop, the approach to the temple was a street filled with an array of interesting shops (and opportunities for people watching!).

A few visitors opted to engaged in their visit fully by renting kimonos and getting their hair done—with flowers intertwined in their hair, they looked very beautiful! 

Kiyiomizudera Temple (which means"Pure Water Temple”) is one of the most celebrated temples of Japan. It was founded in 780 on the site of the Otowa Waterfall in the wooded hills east of Kyoto and derives its name from the fall's waters. In 1994, the temple was added to the list of World Heritage Sites. 

Kiyomizudera is best known for its wooden stage that juts out from its main hall, 13 meters above the hillside. The stage affords nice views of the numerous cherry and maple trees below, as well as of the city of Kyoto in the distance. The main hall, which together with the stage was built without the use of nails, houses the temple's primary object of worship, a small statue of the eleven faced, thousand armed Kannon.

After enjoying our visit to Kiyomizudera temple, we took a train to another smaller town not far from Kyoto called Nara. our experiences in Nara included the Todaji Temple and the Nara Deer Park.

Enroute to these sites, we indulged in the famous Nara mochi:

Todaiji (Tōdaiji, "Great Eastern Temple") is one of Japan's most famous and historically significant temples and a landmark ofNara. The temple was constructed in 752 as the head temple of all provincial Buddhist temples of Japan and grew so powerful that the capital was moved away from Nara in 784 in order to lower the temple's influence on government affairs.

We enjoyed a very quick but informative English tour before setting off on our own to explore the temple grounds.

Until recently, Todaiji's main hall, the Daibutsuden (Big Buddha Hall), held the record as the world's largest wooden building, despite the fact that the present reconstruction of 1692 is only two thirds of the original temple hall's size. The massive building houses one of Japan's largest bronze statues of Buddha (Daibutsu). The 15 meters tall, seated Buddha represents Vairocana and is flanked by two Bodhisattvas.

In the Nara Deer Park, we were surrounded by deer quietly roaming around, in between and among the people. Considered the messengers of the gods, Nara's over 1000 deer have become a symbol of the city and have even been designated as a natural treasure. Deer crackers are for sale around the park, and some deer have learned to bow to visitors to ask to be fed.

After a big day of walking and visiting temples, an ice cream treat does wonders to perk up the spirit and energy level of the group:

As does a long train ride which affords the opportunity to watch shows and give the parents a little quiet time: